In my experience you will always lose some so make sure you take plenty of cuttings. The soil should be a quite sandy and kept moist. Use a pencil (unsharpened end) or stick to make a hole then use it again to press down the soil at the base of the cutting, not just at the surface, to get rid of air pockets. Keep in a area where they get light but not strong sun. With some plants (such as hydrangea and mona lavender) you can just stick them in the ground. Some even take when thrown on a greanwaste heap. I sometimes go to the trouble of using rooting powder but I don't know if that has more success than without it. Good luck.
Donna

Hi Jay,
I seem to have more success when I don't get too fussed about it. In fact most of my cuttings are snipped off while pruning and just stuck in the ground next to the 'mother'. I reckon if she's doing alright there, then so will the babies. I know...a bit whacky, but it works for me. I guess all I'm really saying is that it's not rocket science...just go for it!
Cheers,
Dee.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I once had a double flowered Buddleia Colvellii that I was desperate to take cuttings from, because we were shifting house. The first and second attempts were miserable failures. The week before we left, I took one last batch of cuttings. I ended up with 50% strike rate - about 6 plants. I was very pleased!
Cheers, Jan